Write a research paper outline: tips.

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A research paper outline is a model of the paper that displays important information and the order of topics. To create an outline, determine topics and subtopics, organize them, and use a standard format. Start with a thesis statement and use Roman numerals and letters for main and subtopics. Remember to have at least two subtopics and use subsections if necessary. The outline is for the writer’s benefit and should be easy to understand.

Writing a research paper outline is a great way to organize what can become a complex project. The outline is basically the model of the research paper. It will display the most important information in the article, show how it will be organized and in what order the topics will be followed. To write a research paper outline, you will need to determine all of your topics and subtopics, organize them, and then put them in a standard outline format.

The first step is to figure out what information will appear in your article. Think of it as the ingredients needed to prepare a meal. Consider which topics will be your main topics, and then consider any subtopics included in the main topics. Creating a list of topics, no matter how big or small, and organizing them by importance or category can be helpful. After organizing your topics, you can put them in outline form.

Start your outline with your thesis statement. Your thesis is the backbone of your research paper. It’s usually a theory you want to prove in your article. By placing the thesis at the top of your research paper outline, you will always have a point of reference for the direction of your work and its components.

The standard format for a research paper outline is a vertical list that has main topics labeled with Roman numerals. Below each topic are subtopics labeled with capital letters. Depending on the length of your research paper, each topic may include the content of a paragraph, a page, or multiple pages. The remainder of your research paper outline would follow this format.

One key to remember is that you should never have just one subtopic within a topic. In other words, if you have an “A” in a subtopic, you must also have at least a “B” in that subtopic. Also, if you have more detail to include in a subtopic, you can add subsections under the subtopic and label them with numbers. Again, there should never be just one subsection. If any of these subsections have their own subsections, you can label those with lowercase letters.

The main thing to remember when crafting a research paper outline is that it’s for you. Make sure it is constructed so that you can understand it, and this will make writing your paper much easier. In many cases, the stronger your outline, the better your role.




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